Method to provide authentication using a universal identifier

Abstract

Once an individual is issued a Universal Identifier (UID) it uniquely identifies that person anywhere in the world. The UID could be embedded in any type of device, token or apparatus that is capable of transmitting it (only several bytes of data) to a reader device. Alternatively, for the purposes of authentication the UID could also be entered via a keypad or via any other means. The code scheme for a UID could be any type of symbol sequence that is capable of providing enough combination to cover the entire expected human population. Although it can also be used without biometric data the intended use of the UID is in conjunction with biometric authentication. The Universal Identifier is universal from two aspects: first it is a global or worldwide identifier for people around the world; second it is to be used most generally in any type of transactions, processes or scenarios where authentication is needed. UIDs are issued by an Identity Clearinghouse (IC) or Universal Authentication Authority (UAA) or a Centralized Identity Management Service (CIMS) after verifying the uniqueness of submitted biometric and personal data.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for authenticating a user in an authentication system, the authentication system having a central database that has stored therein unique biometric, unique personal biographic and universal identifier data of all the users, and at least one local biometric reader device is configured to access the database, wherein the following steps are performed:
 (i) reading, the user's live biometric data and his or her universal identifier via the local biometric reader device; 
 (ii) transmitting, the user's universal identifier from the biometric reader device to a central database of the authentication system; 
 (iii) transmitting, back potential matching biometric data from said central database to the local biometric reader device based on said universal identifier; 
 (iv) performing, on the local device matching of the live biometric data collected at the local biometric device against the stored biometric data received back from the central database; 
 (v) performing, service or transaction if the match result is above a predetermined threshold, otherwise denying service or declining transaction; 
 (vi) notifying, user about the outcome of the matching process. 
 
     
     
       2. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said universal identifier is comprised of 8 numerals indicating a user's birth date and 8 letters chosen by the user. 
     
     
       3. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said universal identifier is comprised of 8 numerals indicating a user's birth date and 7 letters chosen by the user and an 8 th  check character which is calculated from the previous numerals and letters. 
     
     
       4. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said universal identifier is comprised of 8 numerals indicating a user's birth date and any number of letters between 1 and 8 chosen by the user. 
     
     
       5. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said universal identifier is comprised of 8 numerals indicating a user's birth date and any number of letters between 0 and 7 chosen by the user and a check character which is calculated from all the previous characters. 
     
     
       6. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said universal identifier is comprised of 8 numerals indicating a user's birth date and a maximum of 4, 5, 6, or 7 letters chosen by the user. 
     
     
       7. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said universal identifier is comprised of 8 numerals indicating a user's birth date and 3 letters indicating the country code for the user's birth place and 5 letters chosen by the user. 
     
     
       8. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said universal identifier is comprised of 6 numerals indicating the short version of a user's birth date and 6 letters chosen by the user. 
     
     
       9. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said universal identifier is comprised of a sequence of 7 numerals and/or letters chosen by the user. 
     
     
       10. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said universal identifier is comprised of 8 letters in two groups of 4 chosen by the user. 
     
     
       11. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said universal identifier is comprised of 10 numerals in two groups of 5 chosen by the user. 
     
     
       12. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said biometric reader device's identifier or model number is also transmitted from the biometric reader device to the central database to help achieve a better match. 
     
     
       13. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said biometric reader device's biometric algorithm version number is also transmitted from the biometric reader device to the central database to help achieve a better match. 
     
     
       14. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said universal identifier is read from an RFID tag that is embedded in a magnetic card, or a smart card, or a proximity card, or a vicinity card, or a personal digital assistant, or a keychain fob, or a or a mobile phone, or a usb flash drive, or in an ultra mobile personal computer. 
     
     
       15. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein said universal identifier is entered via a keypad. 
     
     
       16. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein the user's captured live biometric data is also transmitted back to the central database along with the user's universal identifier and matching is performed on the central database. 
     
     
       17. The authentication method of  claim 1 , wherein the database that the biometric reader device is connected to is a local database. 
     
     
       18. A method for enrolling a user into an authentication system, the authentication system having a central database that has stored therein biometric, personal biographic and universal identifier data of the users, and at least one enrollment station configured to access the database, wherein the following steps are performed:
 (i) entering, the user his or her biometric and personal biographic data and requesting a universal identifier at the enrollment station; 
 (ii) determining the first 8 numerals of the universal identifier from the birth date of the user; 
 (iii) entering, the user his or her choice of letter sequence for the rest of the universal identifier; 
 (iv) determining, at the central database whether the completed universal identifier is unique; 
 (v) in the event that the chosen universal identifier is not unique, entering, the user new choice of letter sequence until a unique universal identifier is found; 
 (vi) sending, the biometric, personal biographic and universal identifier data to the central database; 
 (vii) determining, whether the submitted biometric and personal biographic data is unique; 
 (viii) issuing, the universal identifier if the submitted biometric and personal biographic data was unique; 
 (ix) denying, issuance of the universal identifier if either the biometric or the personal biographic data was not unique. 
 
     
     
       19. The method for enrolling a user into an authentication system of  claim 18  wherein the uniqueness of the requested new universal identifier is determined at the enrollment station.